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Noah Kahan sticks to No. 1 in the U.K., winning a chart race that goes down to the wire.
The Vermont singer and songwriter’s folky hit “Stick Season” enters a third consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Jan. 19, edging Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?,” for a Republic Records 1-2.
Grande’s comeback track is the week’s top debut, entering at No. 2 for her 21st U.K. top 10, and 32nd top 40 appearance in the U.K.
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“Yes, And?” is the most-streamed song (8.2 million streams) during the cycle, the Official Charts Company confirms, and finishes the week just 600 chart units behind “Stick Season.”
Helmed by master Swedish producer Max Martin, “Yes, And?” is Grande’s first solo hit since “Test Drive” rode in at No. 38 in March 2021.
Completing the podium is Sophie Ellis-Bextor‘s Saltburn-fueled 2001 disco tune “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor), dipping 2-3.
Teddy Swims continues to make a splash with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), which becomes the U.S. artist’s first U.K. top 5 single. It’s up 6-5 on the latest tally.
As expected, Natasha Bedingfield pens another chapter in her chart history with “Unwritten” (Phonogenic), which rebounds to No. 18, powered by its prominent sync to the romcom Anyone But You. Originally released in 2004, “Unwritten” peaked at No. 6 that year and is one of the British singer’s five career U.K. top 10s.
D-Block Europe’s “Eagle” (D-Block Europe) featuring Albanian artist Noizy becomes the British rap pair’s 30th top 40 single, new at No. 19. “Eagle” swoops in as D-Block Europe land their first No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with Rolling Stone, an effort that extends their record tally of U.K. top 10 albums to eight – the most of any British rap act in Official Charts history.
Also new to the singles chart top 40 is Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me” (’94 Sounds/RCA). The U.S. rapper’s viral release flies 41-24, for Milli’s first top tier appearance. “Never Lose Me” has sported a range of trends on TikTok since its release, and finally bagged top spot on the Jan. 20-dated TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart in its seventh week on the survey.
Following the release of American Dream (Columbia), his first solo U.K. top 10 album, 21 Savage lands three cuts on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, the maximum permitted from any album under OCC rules. Leading the charge from the London-born, Atlantic-based hip-hop artist is “redrum” (No. 11), “née-nah” with Travis Scott and Metro Boomin (at No. 23), and “n.h.i.e.” featuring Doja Cat (No. 27). American Dream starts at No. 2 on the albums tally. That’s one spot behind his 2022 collaborative LP with Drake, Her Loss, which reached No. 1, and eclipses 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin, which peaked at No. 10.
D-Block Europe is heading for a first U.K. No. 1 with Rolling Stone (via D-Block Europe), the British hip-hop collective’s third studio album.
Rolling Stone leads an all-new top three on the midweek chart, and will extend the act’s tally of U.K. top 10 albums, which currently stands at seven – the most of any British rap act in Official Charts history.
The result isn’t a foregone conclusion. The Vaccines are close behind with Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations (Super Easy), on track for a No. 2 debut. Pick-Up should give the English indie-pop outfit a sixth consecutive U.K. top 10 album, and highest chart appearance since 2015’s English Graffiti, which also peaked at No. 2.
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The Vaccines bagged a U.K. No. 1 with 2012’s Come of Age.
Meanwhile, 21 Savage is on target for his first solo top 10 appearance in the country of his birth. The British-American rap star is predicted to debut at No. 3 with American Dream (Epic/Slaughter Gang), his third LP. Also, three cuts from it are expected to impact the top 40 of the U.K. singles chart.
Savage, who was born in London, now based in Atlanta, has two top 10 appearances with collaborative projects. His 2022 recording with Drake, Her Loss, reached No. 1, and 2020’s Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin peaked at No. 10.
Further down the chart blast, British singer and songwriter Bill Ryder-Jones should snag his first solo top 40 album with Iechyd Da (Domino Recordings), his fifth LP. It’s new at No. 7 on the Official Chart Update. As a member of The Coral, Ryder-Jones landed a U.K. No. 1 in 2003 with Magic and Medicine.
Finally, Teddy Swims’ continues to paddle up the chart with his debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) (via Atlantic). It’s forecast to lift 24-11 on the survey, as the hit single from it, “Lose Control,” rises to No. 5 on the singles chart blast.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Charts are published Friday, Jan. 19.
Ariana Grande’s “Yes, And?” has the U.K. chart crown in its sights.
The U.S. pop star’s latest release (via Republic Records) starts at No. 2 on the midweek chart, and will become Grande’s 32nd top 40 appearance, and 21st top 10 – a tally that includes eight No. 1s. The last time she summited was in 2020 with the title track from her Positions album, and her collaboration with Lady Gaga, “Rain On Me.”
Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records) is the only barrier blocking Grande’s path. The Vermont singer and songwriter’s hit made a strong chart comeback after the festive season, and is on track for a third consecutive week at No. 1.
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Less than 2,000 chart units separated the top two tracks in the early phases of the chart cycle, the OCC reports.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 disco number “Murder on the Dancefloor” (Polydor) is forecast to complete the podium, dipping 2-3. “Murder” has been dancing up sales and consumption charts around the world, following its inclusion in Emerald Fennell’s dark drama Saltburn.
Meanwhile, Teddy Swims is charging to a new peak position – and career best – with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), up 7-5 on the Official Chart Update. The American singer and songwriter’s debut LP I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy – Pt 1 debuted at No. 24 on the national chart last week.
British hip-hop collective D-Block Europe should snag a 30th U.K. top 40 single with “Eagle” (D-Block Europe), soaring in at No. 18 on the chart blast. “Eagle” appears on D-Block Europe’s third studio LP Rolling Stone, which leads the midweek U.K. albums chart.
And finally, British-American rapper 21 Savage has a trio of American Dream (via Epic/Slaughter Gang) tracks in position for U.K. top 40 berths: “Redrum” (No. 19), “Nee-Nah” featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin (No. 21), and “N.H.I.E” with Doja Cat (No. 25). If Savage lands all three, it would lift his tally of top tier U.K. hits to 14.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published this Friday, Jan. 19.
Shed Seven etches its name in the history books as A Matter of Time (via Cooking Vinyl) bows at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
With its fast start, the aptly-named A Matter of Time becomes the Britpop era band’s first chart leader. According to the Official Charts Company, the York, England-formed outfit now claims honors as the rock band with the longest-ever gap between a debut album and first leader – now set at 29 years and 3 months.
The indie act this year celebrates the 30th anniversary since the release of that debut LP, Change Giver, which peaked at No. 16 back in 1994.
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Since then, Shed Seven (Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin, Tim Wills and Rob Maxfield) has landed five titles in the top 10, including A Matter of Time, their sixth studio LP.
British 2 tone legends The Specials own the all-time record for the longest gap between their debut (The Specials from 1979) and first U.K. 1 (2019’s Encore), clocking in at 39 years, 3 months.
The leader at the halfway stage, A Matter of Time knocks over Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (EMI), which returned to No. 1 the previous week on the release of an expanded edition. Capaldi’s sophomore set dips 1-2, while The Weeknd’s The Collection (Republic Records/XO) holds at No. 3.
Meanwhile, British pop-punk band Busted returns to the top 20 with former leader Greatest Hits 2.0 Busted Live). The hits collection bounces to No. 19 on the release of an extended Another Present for Everyone edition, which includes new single “One of These Days .
Finally, Dublin, Ireland garage-punk outfit SPRINTS lands at No. 20 with their debut release Letter to Self (City Slang), while U.S. singer-songwriter Teddy Swims paddles to a first ever U.K. top 40 album with I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) (via Warner Records). Featuring the top 10 hit “Lose Control” (up 14-6 on the Official Chart), Therapy lands at No. 24.
“Murder on the Dancefloor” (via Polydor) is killing it in the U.K., where Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 pop number returns to its peak position.
Powered by its sync in Emerald Fennell’s dark feature film Saltburn, Ellis-Bextor’s solo hit rebounds 8-2, equaling its best position set more than 22 years ago.
According to the Official Charts Company, “Murder On The Dancefloor” doubles its highest-ever streaming week in the U.K. to date, accumulating 4.7 million streams over the seven-day cycle.
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The Saltburn effect can be seen further down the list as Mason and Princess Superstar’s “Perfect (Exceeder)” (Armada), which also appears in the film, vaults 40-26. The mashup cut originally peaked at No. 3 in 2006.
Another movie is having an influence on the U.K. top 40. Natasha Bedingfield’s breakthrough “Unwritten” (Phonogenic) bounces to No. 24 on the tally, published Friday, Jan. 12 — for its first stint in the top 40 in almost 20 years. “Unwritten” originally peaked at No. 6 in 2004, but writes a new chapter in its chart journey thanks to its use in Will Gluck’s rom-com Anyone But You.
The top new entry on the latest Official U.K. Singles Chart is Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s collaboration “Just Another Rainbow” (Warner Records), new at No. 16. It’s Gallagher’s highest-charting solo single yet and the sixth top 40 for the former Oasis and Beady Eye frontman. “Rainbow” is the first top 40 effort for Squire, guitarist with the enigmatic Manchester band The Stone Roses.
British rockers Bring Me The Horizon bag an eighth top 40 appearance with “Kool-Aid” (RCA), new at No. 21. It’s the Sheffield, England outfit’s highest appearance on the weekly tally since 2014’s “Drown” floated to No. 17.
Also, Drake’s “Practice” (Cash Money/Republic Records) cracks the top 40, some 13 years after its release. Originally appearing on Drizzy’s 2011 album Take Care, “Practice” debuts at No. 27 after igniting a new viral trend on TikTok. That effort lifts the Canadian hip-hop star’s career top 40 tally to a whopping 91.
At the top of the tally, Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records) snags a second consecutive week at No. 1.
The leader at the midweek stage, “Stick Season” was the U.K.’s most-streamed track last week, with 7.5 million streams plays, the OCC reports.
Thirty years into their career, Shed Seven are on track for a first-ever U.K. No. 1. The Britpop era indie band leads the midweek U.K. chart with A Matter of Time (via Cooking Vinyl), the York five-piece’s sixth studio effort. Whatever between now and the publication of the weekly chart, A Matter of Time should […]
Sophie Ellis-Bextor continues its dance up the U.K. chart, thanks in part to the small-screen magic of Saltburn.
The British pop veteran’s “Murder On The Dancefloor” (via Polydor) is proving lethal once again, capturing the zeitgeist through a sync in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, the dark comedy that’s caught fire on Amazon Prime Video.
As previously reported, “Murder On The Dancefloor” breezed into the Official U.K. Singles Chart last Friday, Jan. 5 at No. 8 — for its first top 10 appearance in more than 22 years.
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Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, “Dancefloor” is buzzing. The track is predicted to hit No. 3 when the weekly chart is published this Friday, just one position below its all-time peak, set following its release in 2001.
Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records) is predicted to retain top spot, ahead of Jack Harlow’s former leader, “Lovin On Me” (Atlantic), which is expected to hold at No. 2.
The top new release should belong to Liam Gallagher, whose collaborative single with John Squire, “Just Another Rainbow” (Warner Records), is set for a No. 4 debut. As a member of Oasis, Gallagher has collected eight U.K. No. 1 singles, and 26 appearances in the top 40; with Beady Eye and as a solo artist, Gallagher has an additional six top 40 appearances. Squire, as founding guitarist with fellow Manchester rock favorites The Stone Roses, has four top 10 and 15 top 40 appearances on the national singles survey.
Meanwhile, U.S. artist Teddy Swims could crack the U.K. top 10 for the first time with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), which lifts 10-7 on the Official Chart Update.
Sheffield, England-formed rock band Bring Me The Horizon is on track for an eighth top 40 appearance with “Kool-Aid” (RCA), new at No. 12 on the chart blast.
Finally, Sabrina Carpenter’s “feather” (Polydor) is flying on the chart blast, up 33-17. If it holds its course, “feather” will become the American singer and actress’s first top 20 single in the U.K. It’s already her career-best performer, outpacing “Skin” (No. 28) and “Nonsense” (No. 32).
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published this Friday, Jan. 12.
As sales of vinyl grew for the 16th consecutive year in the U.K., Taylor Swift and The Beatles reigned supreme.
Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) was the U.K.’s biggest-selling vinyl album of 2023, according to data published by the Official Charts Company, shifting 84,700 copies on the format since its release last October.
The fourth in Swift’s re-recording projects blasted to the biggest opening week for any album in 2023 (with more than 184,000 combined units), and logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Based on midweek data, it’s set to log a fourth when the weekly chart is published this Friday, Jan. 5.
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Swifties love their wax. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of three Swift LPs to crack the top 10 on the Official Top 40 best-selling vinyl albums of 2023, ahead of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (No. 4) and Midnights (No. 8), while another five titles impact the year-end chart: Lover (No. 20), folklore (No. 21), reputation (No. 27), evermore (No. 37) and the Record Store Day limited-edition release folklore – The Long Pond Studio Sessions (No. 38).
Completing the podium on the U.K.’s year-end vinyl albums chart is The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds (Polydor), at No. 2; and Lana Del Rey’s Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (Polydor), at No. 3, respectively.
Meanwhile, The Beatles’ “last” single “Now And Then” (via Apple Corps), released 53 years after the Fab Four split, is crowned the best-selling vinyl single of 2023 in the U.K.
The song, which began life as a demo recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s, and which features contributions from all four members of the legendary band, moved 33,000 copies on vinyl since its release, which included 12” and 7” versions, with fans snapping up clear, light blue and blue/white marble editions.
En route to No. 1 on the weekly tally last November, “Now And Then” established a flurry of records, including the longest span between an artist’s first and last No. 1, and the U.K.’s fastest-selling vinyl single of the century.
On the year-end vinyl singles tally, Boygenius’s “The Rest” (Interscope) comes in behind the Beatles, at No. 2, while veteran electronic music wizard Aphex Twin completes the top 3 with “Blackbox Life Recorder 21F” (Warp). British punk icons the Sex Pistols land three vinyl releases in the U.K.’s top 10, all via Virgin: “Anarchy in the U.K.” (No. 5), “Holidays in the Sun” (No. 6) and “Pretty Vacant” (No. 9).
Vinyl is no trifling matter. Data published by the BPI, which operates the OCC in a joint venture with entertainment retail body ERA, shows that the format posted its 16th consecutive year of growth in 2023.Year-on-year growth was 11.7% to 5.9 million units (up to week 51), for the highest annual sales figures for the format since 1990. That’s well up on the 2.9% growth recorded in the previous year.
See the full year-end vinyl charts here.
With Christmas out of the way, Taylor Swift is eying a return to the U.K. chart throne by week’s end.
Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) leads the midweek U.K. chart, up 2-1, and is on track for a fourth non-consecutive stint at No. 1.
It’s not just at the pointy end of the midweek chart where Swift marks her territory. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of seven Taylor LPs projected to impact the top 40, the Official Charts Company reports, including 2017’s reputation (at No. 9), 2022’s Midnights (No. 10), 2019’s Lover (No. 11), 2020’s folklore (No. 14) and evermore (No. 26), and the original, 2014 release of 1989 (No. 39).
Meanwhile, ABBA’s juggernaut, Gold: Greatest Hits, could rebound to No. 3, its highest chart position since 2008. The career retrospective has already logged a record 1,130 weeks – and counting – on the Official Chart.
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Also on the rise is Noah Kahan’s Stick Season (Island), which is set to lift 8-6, for a new peak, as its title track has a shot at No. 1 on the national singles chart.
Also on the way up, based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the OCC, are collections from Fleetwood Mac (50 Years – Don’t Stop, up 13-7 via Rhino), Michael Jackson (The Essential up 26-18 via Epic), Post Malone’s (The Diamond Collection, up 27-19 via Republic Records) and Elvis Presley (ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits, up 48-35 via RCA).
Festive records should begin their annual pilgrimage down and out of the chart, including Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise), the leader on the most recent tally, published Friday, Dec. 29.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published this Friday, Jan. 5.
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” bloomed in a big way, as her pop hit ended 2023 as the U.K.’s biggest single.The lead track from Cyrus’ chart-leading eight studio LP Endless Summer Vacation (Columbia), “Flowers” captured 198 million combined audio and video streams in the U.K., according to data published by the Official Charts Company — good enough for the most-streamed song and music video for the year. Along the way, “Flowers” logged 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, raking in some 1.7 million U.K. chart units since its release in January 2023. Also, its 91,000 downloads led all tracks in 2023.Coming in at No. 2 on the OCC’s tally of biggest tracks for 2023 is Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood), a different type of athlete that spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 and collected 161 million audio and video streams in the territory. “Sprinter” ends 2023 with 1.2 million U.K. chart units. Following its release last June, “Sprinter” set a new record for the biggest streaming week for a rap single in U.K. (13.4 million streams and 108,200 chart units in its first tracking week). By the end of its run, another record for a rap track.Completing the year-end singles podium is Raye and 070 Shake’s “Escapism” (Human Re Sources), with 1.2 million total U.K. chart units, a sum that includes 142 million audio and video streams. Taylor Swift appears twice on the tally, with Midnights cut “Anti-Hero” (at No. 4 via EMI) and 2019 Lover album track “Cruel Summer,” which was finally issued as a single in 2023, for a No. 2 peak on the weekly chart and No. 11 appearance on the year-end list.Christmas only comes once a year, though two festive classics make the year-end cut. Wham’s “Last Christmas” (Epic) which set a new record for endurance when it became the U.K.’s coveted Christmas No. 1 single for 2023, 39 years after release, comes in at No. 18 on the year-end list, which Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (Columbia) is at No. 29.
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Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2023:
“Flowers” — Miley Cyrus
“Sprinter” — Dave & Central Cee
“Escapism” — Raye featuring 070 Shake
“Anti-Hero” — Taylor Swift
“Miracle” — Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding
“Calm Down” — Rema
“Kill Bill — SZA
“Boy’s A Liar” — Pinkpantheress
“As It Was” — Harry Styles
People” — Libianca